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A review by richardbakare
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain
5.0
“…introverts are antisocial and extroverts are pro-social…neither formulation is correct; introverts and extroverts are differently social.” That quote best sums up the major thread in this book. Time has resulted, socially, in very wrong ideas about what it means to be an extrovert or introvert. Example, most people who know me would not peg me as an introvert. Over the years I have learned to become more comfortable with it and try to redefine what introvert means to others.
That is where “Quiet” comes in. I first heard about it on the Ted Radio Hour and have been fascinated by Susan Cain’s analysis ever since. This book showed me how introverts sometimes conduct themselves as extroverts because we’re taught from an early age that extroverts win. Cain dives deep into this phenomenon, along with the myth of the extrovert leader and what introverts bring to the table. Cain also explores the cultural and historical roots that led to the extrovert ideal in some cultures and the preference for quiet power in other cultures.
What Cain sets out to do more than anything is dispel all of these misconceptions about what it means to be an introvert or an extrovert. Particularly, the antisocial myth about extroverts. Moreover through multiple examples she shows that there is value in having introverts included in conversations and leadership roles that they would normally be left out of. Cain also excels in giving real practical tools and examples of how to thrive as an introvert in a world where extroverts are celebrated.
In summary, this book is hard to put down and the writing is fluid and concise. Cain’s style distills down and makes actionable key learnings from every chapter. Particularly, in how introversion and extroversion are not neat little boxes one fits into. They are more like a Venn diagram. You are one or the other but may still share some qualities from the other camp. Another key concept, is learning your appropriate stimulation level and setting up your work, life, hobbies to keep you in the “sweet spot.” The ability to be as social as you need to be depending on the setting.
That is where “Quiet” comes in. I first heard about it on the Ted Radio Hour and have been fascinated by Susan Cain’s analysis ever since. This book showed me how introverts sometimes conduct themselves as extroverts because we’re taught from an early age that extroverts win. Cain dives deep into this phenomenon, along with the myth of the extrovert leader and what introverts bring to the table. Cain also explores the cultural and historical roots that led to the extrovert ideal in some cultures and the preference for quiet power in other cultures.
What Cain sets out to do more than anything is dispel all of these misconceptions about what it means to be an introvert or an extrovert. Particularly, the antisocial myth about extroverts. Moreover through multiple examples she shows that there is value in having introverts included in conversations and leadership roles that they would normally be left out of. Cain also excels in giving real practical tools and examples of how to thrive as an introvert in a world where extroverts are celebrated.
In summary, this book is hard to put down and the writing is fluid and concise. Cain’s style distills down and makes actionable key learnings from every chapter. Particularly, in how introversion and extroversion are not neat little boxes one fits into. They are more like a Venn diagram. You are one or the other but may still share some qualities from the other camp. Another key concept, is learning your appropriate stimulation level and setting up your work, life, hobbies to keep you in the “sweet spot.” The ability to be as social as you need to be depending on the setting.